laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Standing over the bodies, Adgertesse' joyfully marveled at her work. None of them deserved to be here any longer, being bound to a dog who had desired the lives of her friends.

"You could've left me one," Brittany stated from the hallway entrance behind her.

Orange eyes turned to her left, "That one's not yet gone," she motioned with her head, then sheathed her sword and hammer. As the vampire fed, she moved to their room and gathered her backpack, they had been here too long already. Kailee's life hung in the balance and she needed to get to her kidnapped sister before it was too late - before He decided to take possession personally. Moving to the door, Brittany entered.

"Let me get my earth and we can go," the brunette quickly moved to the bed and knelt as the dark elf walked into the hallway. Turning to the right, she finally noticed the strange markings and runes on the floor. Their ritual to wake their queen had cost them their lives, how many more would Sater waste to gain his prize?

"They had been busy," the vampire stated behind her. "I didn't notice those before."

"Me either but, we need to head to the Black Mountains." She turned and began leaving the scene of the crime though, as to who were the real criminals was relative and the survivors didn't really care at this point. Up the stairs, they pushed open the debris covered door and crawled out into the brisk night. Malung usually began to cool about this time of year she thought as she closed the door quietly. Unsure if anyone in the area might be awake still, they began running towards the north. Pushing, Tess hoped in her own way that she could at least mentally reach her friend soon and find out if their journey had been in vain or not. Through the dark branches and underbrush they moved until suddenly, a bright blue flash caught them both. Tendrils of power enveloped the females as Tess tried to teleport away having a searing headache be the fruits of her efforts and soon unconsciousness.

* * *

Waking, her sore muscles announced themselves as Adgertesse' noticed the stone floor and Brittany lying close behind her. Turning her head to look up, firelight from sconces on the wall picked out the cage that surrounded them. Clearing her mind, she sat up to notice an undead woman sitting casually in a nearby couch on the far wall, reading. Her matted dark hair fell over a red silk blouse whose large sleeves hung loosely off of thin arms along with a dark brown skirt. Soon, brown eyes looked up from the emaciated face.

"Hello there," the gravely voice greeted. "I trust you rested," the dark grin made her skin crawl.

"Fairly well," Tess returned sarcastically. "Where are we?"

"My castle. Cooperate and you won't have to watch your friend die," she motioned to Brittany. "Or, perhaps she'll be the one to survive, having someone right there with her," grinning darkly.

"What do you want?"

Closing the book, their captor leaned forward. "What any woman wants, to be eternally beautiful."

"Huh. Guess you lost that battle."

"Child," the woman rose as blue light crackled from long, boney fingers. "Don't test me or you'll learn a new meaning to the word pain." Launching a bolt of heated light, Tess' whole body convulsed and soon went numb as she fell back to the floor. Expelling breath, she tried to master the screaming muscles and relax. "I'll do with you what I wish and when I'm done, perhaps you'll be allowed to serve me." Orange eyes glanced to the lich as she strolled to the right and entered a study, disappearing from view.

"I take it she's our new host," Brittany whispered as she glanced to her companion.

"Appears that way."

Sighing, Brittany placed a consoling hand on her arm. "You certainly have a way with people."

Tess grinned, wincing from the subsiding ache. "How we were taught, unfortunately." The real reason was that she didn't want to be stuck here any longer, their progress had been impeded enough already. They had to find a way out and soon. All of their weapons, armor and gear had been taken, of course so she had only her knowledge to figure out how to escape. As she scanned their surroundings, Brittany concentrated as her body darkened, then was encapsulated in arcing light making the vampire cry out.

"Foolish girl," the voice from the study called. "You're both wasting your time. There is no escape from my home, much less that cell." Walking back to the doorway the lich glowered at them. "It's warded against magic as you've surmised by now. Cooperate and this will all be over soon."

Adgertesse' didn't like the sound of that as she pushed herself to sit up again. "What do you want us for?"

"I already told you. It's a treasure to have a vampire and dark elf in my possession as certain alchemical elixirs require blood from both." As she spoke, a door to their immediate left opened revealing another undead man who stepped in. Stooped from power, his cold gaze from sunken eyes glanced at them as he smiled.

"They're awake," he pushed the door shut and squared to the cell's door. "Have you started yet?" His deeper, hollow voice also sounded like wagon wheels crushing rocks.

"I've been waiting for you to help me, you know I can't do this alone. Where've you been, Conley?"

Glancing to his female counterpart, "Making sure our experiment is still progressing. Brannoc finally has enough spies to keep an eye on everyone and the foci have been placed."

"Good. Let's begin then."

Nervous adrenaline pumped through her veins as he unlocked the cell and she began to notice her body grow numb as he entered and grabbed Brittany. As she tried to push herself up to run, an enormous weight kept her pinned to the floor and she watched helplessly as Conley carried her friend out of the cage and closed the cell door behind him. Released, she sighed then angrily jumped up as he carried the unconscious vampire into the study. "Leave her alone!"

"This won't take long," the female chuckled as they disappeared into the rectangular room. Unable to hear the procedure, her mind raced. She couldn't lose another friend to some sick person's desires. Backing, she launched a kick at the door's lock in desperation, feeling the shocking pain that lurched down the length of her body again, sending her to the floor fighting for every ounce of consciousness as she soon faded.

In and out during the next two days, hunger pangs announced themselves and she knew that Brittany was suffering the most and hoped their luck would turn soon. Quiet, the room's firelight had been extinguished on it's own as if magically attuned to the time of day. Tess touched Brittany on the shoulder and noticed the darkness around the vampire's eyes and knew she was starving to death.

"Brittany," she shook the girl awake. Nervously, she swallowed. "Take from me."

"No," she vehemently replied.

"You'll die if you don't."

Sighing, the brunette eyed her. "Then you'll have to save them without me."

"I'm not leaving you here with them. Do it."

"I said, no." Brittany pushed herself over, turning away. Tears welled as Adgertesse' feared niether of them would live to tell this tale as memories flowed through her mind of the group until soon, she fell asleep.

Cool crossed her face which awoke Adgertesse' to kind faces. People she soon recognized as Marian and Sceva who smiled warmly.

"She's awake," the fighter-mage reached into her backpack and pulled out some bread and raised her waterskin. "Here, take small bites."

Turning as she pushed herself up, she noticed they had brought Brittany outside as well as the vampire fed on one of the fallen defenders of their captor's keep. Relieved, she smiled then turned to notice Allaster standing by also. "Where's the rest?"

"Inside, finishing up," Sceva informed as he motioned with his head to the large stone building behind her. As she ate, anger welled as the thought of their captors as well as torture that had taken place, much of which she only recalled flashes.

"Is the b**ch still alive?"

"Don't think so," Allaster informed, his bloodied sword still in hand. "Lericanin's been as angered by this as we so, I would imagine anyone that didn't ride here with us is either dead or on their way."

"I need our things."

"You two need to leave this town," Sceva began. "Paladins and templar that we came with will only be preoccupied for a short while."

"We'll meet up with you shortly," Allaster added as Marian continued cleaning the dark elf's wounds.

Nodding, she noticed Brittany finish and sit up, renewed as if nothing had happened as wounds sealed before their eyes. "In the forest to the west of here. We'll find you but, hurry there's still much to do."

Allaster quietly agreed as Arthur, the newest knight of Arhus emerged from the far corner of the nearest tower with their weapons and armor. Finishing up as much as she could stomach at the moment, she rose and handed the waterskin back to Marian. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. I'm just glad that we got to you when we did."

"Me too." A swirl of emotions remained at bay as she accepted her armor and strapped it on, then gladly gripped her weapons as she wrapped the belt around her waist. Once geared, they both sprinted through backalleys and dark streets to finally be free of the town.